


Control

by Wahmenitu



Category: The Avengers (2012), Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-28
Updated: 2013-01-28
Packaged: 2017-11-27 07:22:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 21,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/659365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wahmenitu/pseuds/Wahmenitu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Various moments in the growing relationship of Bruce Banner and Darcy Lewis.  Other Avengers heavily features as Darcy worms her way into their lives and makes herself at home at Stark Towers.</p><p>I don't own Marvel or any of its characters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Meeting

When Darcy meets Bruce, it's entirely accidental, very embarrassing, and the reason she first takes an interest. She's at Stark Tower because of Jane, and because of the whole, 'Thor's a real god here's a Destroyer Mew Mew makes it go boom' incident. After the Battle of Manhattan, Jane's offered a lab there, and she accepts, on the condition all of her equipment and her assistant come with her.

Darcy kind of figures she would have managed to insert herself in there somehow anyways, but she thanks Jane because figuring out how to sneak in to the newly rebuilt Avengers Tower would probably have killed her.

So now she's here, and alone, and exploring. The place is amazing, which she totally should have expected from Tony Stark, and she also should have expected him to make interesting patterns on the ceiling to distract innocent Darcys so they'll run into people. Like now.

When she turns on her heel she slams hard into a warm body, arms automatically coming up and around her as they fall, and sprawl across the floor. She doesn't even have time to apologize before she's off the floor and the warm somebody, and all the air is being squeezed from her body.

"Lady Darcy! It is most joyous to see you again! Friend Bruce, are you injured?" Thor asks as Darcy struggles to breath, but she managed to latch onto the name.

"No, I'm fine, Thor. Thank you, though." Bruce replied as he stands, adjusting his glasses so they are no longer askew on his face.

"Are you... angered?" Thor asks in a conspiratorial whisper, setting Darcy to her feet finally.

"Why on earth would it matter if he was—oh." Darcy turned, blinking with wide eyes at the scientist whose gaze has dropped and whose hands come together, wringing nervously.

"I'm... fine, Thor." Bruce repeats, frowning a bit to himself, and Darcy realizes she's probably just made a total ass out of herself.

"No! Oh, crap. No no, I didn't mean it like that, Bruce. Dr. Banner. Whatever the hell you like to be called. It's just... you're my favorite." she blurted, before clapping her hands to her mouth, Bruce looking confused and embarrassed, and Thor's face falling dramatically.

"God, damn. No, Thor, sorry. You can't be my favorite, though. You're  _Jane's_ favorite, and we can't have the same favorite." Darcy assured him quickly, and Thor nodded with a grave expression, as if it was a serious matter.

"I understand, Lady Darcy." he replied, clapping a hand to his heart.

"I... er, the... Other Guy is your favorite?" Bruce asks with a quiet interest. "Can I ask... why?" he added after a moment.

"Well I like  _you,_ too, I guess. But... why? I dunno... because I like the idea of something so powerful being able to come from just a regular guy, I guess." she replies with a slight shrug and a shuffle of her feet. And then, because Darcy never does anything half ass, she smiles widely.

"I gotta go, boys. See you at dinner." she finished, tugging Thor down to kiss his cheek, and then leaning over to press a kiss to Bruce's as well, before he can protest and run away and hide. And Darcy walks off, smiling proudly to herself at an embarrassing situation well handled.

Bruce stands with Thor for a while, before looking up at him finally.

"Isn't she wondrous? A truly magnificent maiden." Thor smiles expectantly, and Bruce knows disagreeing would mean a broken tower and an unhappy god.

"Sure." Bruce manages finally, before shuffling off to his lab in silence.

He can't get why Tony's laughing at him until he catches his reflection on the screen, and sees the bright red of Darcy's lipstick on his cheek.

He hurries to get rid of it.


	2. Lunch

Darcy worked for Jane for two years before gods and Destroyers and other realms. So she knows Jane. And, by extension, she knows  _scientists._ Jane forgets to eat, forgets what day it is, thankfully she  _doesn't_  forget to shower, and Darcy guesses that has something to do with the huge hunk of thunder god at her beck and call, so Darcy guesses that Tony and Bruce are  _probably_ the same way.

Darcy is right.

"It's been thirty six hours since you locked yourselves down here." she announces when she first walks into the lab. Her entrance has to be very dramatic, because Jarvis gave her her own code and that means she's  _important._

"No it hasn't." Tony replies dismissively, not looking up from what looks to her like a huge hunk of metal. Bruce doesn't even acknowledge her, but she can tell he knows she's there, because his shoulders get a little tenser, and for a moment he pauses, before setting back to work.

"Yes, it has, and in that time, you haven't eaten, slept, or been hygienic, probably, so stop what you're doing right now, and go shower. I'm going to take you out for lunch." Darcy replied firmly, hands on her hips.

Tony looks up at her finally, and stares for several, pregnant moments, before he suddenly bursts out laughing, dropping his screwdriver and bending over the table slightly. "Y-you're gonna take _me_  out to lunch? Kid, I could  _buy_ whatever restaurant you plan on—"

"It's the thought that counts, you ass, now go!" Darcy replies hotly, cheeks a bit flushed as she points towards the door.

Tony is so shocked he meekly goes upstairs to shower and change, and with no one to do all the talking for him, Bruce follows, slipping his glasses off and tucking them into his pocket as he goes.

For a while, Darcy is proud of herself, feeling accomplished and smart.

Of course, she's never been to a restaurant with Tony Stark before.

_-_

The place she picks is  _cool_ , and will defend it to the end. It's an old, fifties diner, complete with roller skating waitresses and a checkerboard floor. Bruce keeps his head low the moment they are out of the Tower, and ends up sitting across from both her and Tony at a booth.

"I want a chocolate milkshake." Tony announces.

"Then order one. And keep your sunglasses on. I don't want the press naming me as your illegitimate daughter or something." she adds as she picks up her own menu, scanning through it for a brief moment until she notices Bruce isn't looking at him.

"Hey, B-man—" Tony chokes at her nickname, "shut up. Anyways, Bruce, you might want to actually, you know, read the menu, because I feel like Tony picking for you is a horrible disaster waiting to happen." Beside her is an indignant noise, but Darcy ignores it.

"I-it's fine. You don't have to buy me lunch, Darcy. I can—"

"Nope. Too late. We're already here, SHIELD gives me shitloads of money to keep my mouth shut, and if you don't pick something, I will. Now order." she replies breezily, pushing his menu towards him. Bruce ducks his head again in response, but Darcy catches the little smile that flits across his mouth as he picks up his menu reluctantly.

In the end, Tony is pleased that she didn't get a salad. ("As if! I'm  _hungry._ " is her explanation.) Bruce gets two things, because even when he  _hasn't_  used the Hulk, holding him back takes a lot of energy, too. Darcy pays, and they're on their way home.

"You know, I think I'm starting to like you, short stuff." Tony speaks as they weave through New York's streets. The wind is blowing and stinging Darcy's face, but she's happy, because these people are her friends and they're fun and they let her be  _her._

"Thanks, I think." Darcy replies with a soft grin, arms crossed tightly against her chest when a warm weight drops around her shoulders. She blinks, and turns to her other side to look at Bruce, who _isn't_  looking at her of course, and looks embarrassed.

"Um... thanks for dinner... you looked cold." is his half-hearted explanation, and he shifts uncomfortably under her scrutinizing gaze. A moment later, she grins.

"Thanks, Doc." she replies, and now they've reached the door and Darcy leans up before he can stop her and kisses his cheek again, leaving a red lip print, before she saunters off inside.

Tony is beside him, laughing because he is the  _worst_  science bro anyone could ask for and Bruce wonders to himself if all of his run ins with Darcy will end like this.

And a small part of him hopes.


	3. Suit Shopping

Darcy learns a lot her first few weeks at the Avengers Tower. But there's one thing that trumps all the rest.

Pepper Potts is a saint.

Darcy thinks she should be put up on a pedestal and worshiped because anyone who can deal with Tony while wearing heels like  _those_  are not of this world. So when Tony approaches her, announcing it's Pepper's birthday soon and he wants to throw her a surprise party, Darcy is all on board. She's also half surprised when Tony asks Bruce to help him next, not because she thinks Bruce is useless, she just thinks he's the kind of guy that avoids parties.

Especially parties thrown by Tony Stark.

But Bruce likes Pepper. And Pepper likes Bruce. They have an easy friendship, and sometimes Pepper will go to Bruce when she can't get Tony to do something, or, frankly, if she just wants to talk. Bruce is an excellent listener.

Everyone else knows about the party, but the three of them are the planners. They're in charge of planning it, decorating, and Darcy also gets a special job. The most important job, because she's the only one (probably), that can do it.

And that job is  _keeping Thor's fat god mouth shut about the party._

She's in for a long week.

_-_

"Shit!" Darcy jumps, muttering a string of curses when she hits her head. She'd been kneeling under a table, working on hiding Tony's stupid present for Pepper when she's glanced up and there were suddenly feet there. Scrambling out from under the table, she's relieved to find a much more violent shade of red hair rather than Pepper's strawberry blonde. "You scared me, Tasha." Darcy sighed, patting a hand against her heart, but then her brow furrows, because Natasha doesn't smirk or raise an eyebrow or  _anything_.

"We have a situation." she spoke, grabbing Darcy's hand and hauling her to her feet, unceremoniously dragging her off.

The "situation" turns out to be Bruce refusing to go suit shopping with Steve, Tony, Thor, and Clint. Tony has suits. Almost all Tony wears is suits when he's out in public. But nothing he has will fit Steve or Thor's bulk and height, and Clint's broader in the shoulder than Tony is. So they all need suits.

"Bruce won't go shopping with me." Tony whines pathetically the instant Darcy has entered, and Bruce shifts in his spot, frowning now. Vaguely, he wonders how obvious it is the control Darcy has over him if Natasha has started recruiting her for such things.

"I don't need you spending money on me all the time, Tony. It's not... it's just not right." Bruce replies.

"But I  _want_  to." Tony presses with a pout, and this is when Clint intervenes.

"Darcy'll come with us." he speaks, and she's about to protest when he turns his piercing, blue-gray gaze on her. He's giving her a look. A look that clearly says, 'I will sic my hot, deadly girlfriend on you if you say no.' And Darcy's not stupid. So she gives a shrug and says, "Yeah, I'll go. And if I'm going, you're going. I have no problem with Tony spending money on me. So Tony can buy  **me**  a suit in  **your**  size and I can  **give** it to you." she replies with a winning smile.

Bruce releases a slow sigh, and his hands go up in defeat. "Fine. Whatever." he replies, shaking his head and hiding a smile as Tony pumps a fist in triumph, and leads them all out.

_-_

Staying incognito with Tony and Bruce had been hard. With nearly every member of the team with her now, it's near impossible. Somehow, though, they manage it, and make it to the suit shop in one piece. Tony agrees to teach Thor and Steve the finer arts of suit shopping while Clint goes off on his own, clearly having done this before. Darcy's hand slides up to Bruce's bicep, and she gives her best demure smile. "Guess it's you and me, Doc." she speaks, and pulls him off.

"Okay, you can't wear white, so that's out." she speaks, and Bruce gives his adorable little half smile that does funny things to Darcy's stomach.

"Why?" he questions.

"Because you're already so tan. People will think, 'Ew, that guy's tan is totally fake and he's trying to get people to notice it.' And I don't want Thor crushing anyone with Mew Mew because they had the severe lapse in judgment to make fun of his friends." Darcy replied easily, picking slowly through rows of suits and tuxedos, humming to herself, while Bruce mouths 'Mew Mew' behind her and shakes his head.

"Oooh, gray. Definitely gray. With a white shirt. Yup, this is it." Darcy speaks, gathering pieces, and Bruce just says "Okay." because he doesn't know what he's doing, but he knows that he likes seeing Darcy smile. It's contagious, and she looks prettier when she smiles.

"Alrighty then, Doc, looks like we're through. Let's see how the others are doing." Darcy replies, and leads him off. Bruce tries to ignore the drop of disappointment in his stomach, because he thinks it's selfish and wrong of him to just want to be alone with her, but they do have a job to do, and Pepper's party is in a few hours.

"We're good." Tony announces when they rejoin the group. He looks over Bruce's choice, before nodding. "You have good taste, short stuff, now let's pay and get out of here." he compliments, moving to the counter and swiping a card.

Walking outside, however, they're ambushed.

At first, she's blinded by the flash of cameras, and she takes a startled step back as the other Avengers come out behind her. Questions are being shouted, but suddenly the flashes are gone, and Darcy blinks hard, seeing a solid wall of man in front of her, shielding her.

"Get out of here, I've got the press." Tony mutters to the other three, because Clint has suddenly vanished, and Bruce steps back.

"Come on, Darcy." he speaks, sliding an arm around her and steering her off as Thor walks purposefully in front of them. Gods tend to part a crowd. Steve walks behind them, keeping people away from both her and Bruce as they hurry back to the Tower, and she can hear Tony laughing behind her, handling the press like he'd been raised to do.

And through all of this, all she can think of is,  _'Holy shit, Bruce wears cologne, and it smells like fucking heaven.'_

When they reach the Tower, Darcy leans up to press a kiss to Bruce's cheek, as is becoming customary for them, and she smiles. "Thanks, guys. Now go hide your stuff before Pepper sees and gets suspicious." she instructs, and she looks pleased when they hurry to follow their instructions.

Because now she's starting to think maybe she does belong here, after all.


	4. Pepper's Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for how cheesy this is.

There are so many people Darcy can barely move.

Maybe that's an exaggeration, but it definitely takes some skill to navigate the crowd with a drink in her hand. But it's fun, and so utterly  _Tony_ that it makes her smile. At first she's annoyed, because she thinks maybe Pepper doesn't want all of these people here, but after actually seeing the woman, it's clear she's enjoying being the center of attention for once, rather than Tony. So Darcy's glad for her.

For a moment, she stops, to search for a familiar face. Natasha and Clint are out, they fled the moment it got too crowded for them. It was a funny display, actually, seeing Clint jump first onto a table, then onto a dresser, and finally vaulting into the rafters spanning the living room. He hadn't run off, though, and instead appeared a moment later, hanging upside down from his knees, and holding his hands out. Natasha followed his example, though she only had to jump onto the table and grasp his wrist before she was pulled after him.

The way she remembers it, it would have been very odd and strange, but in reality it had happened  _so fast_  she was positive no one else had noticed.

Now the easiest people to find would be Thor or Steve, because they tower over everyone else. Thor is the first to work his way into her gaze, talking and laughing loudly with a small group of agents that are a little more involved with the Avengers than others. Darcy appreciates that they don't gaze at Thor in awe, but instead as a friend, and she  _really_  appreciates the utter respect the give to the woman at Thor's side.

If anyone was mean to Jane, Darcy would get some ass-kicking lessons from Natasha and go to work.

Steve she just can't manage to find, and with a huff, she turns on her heel, just as the crowd clears and she sees Bruce.

Almost immediately, she can tell something's wrong.

She's lived here for two months now, and she's seen Bruce enough to know when he's shutting down, when he's retreating and thinking of hiding out in the lab. It's in the way his glances upwards are becoming far and few, and the way his hands come together to wring nervously.

She wanders a bit closer.

"... I know everyone here, Doctor, but I'm afraid I just don't understand  _why_  you're here. I haven't heard of you, or your work. In fact, I'm starting to think maybe you snuck in." the old business man is eying Bruce hatefully, and this is what makes Darcy snap.

"Hey! Mean and Green, how's it going?" she asks breezily, walking over and sliding an arm around Bruce's shoulders. He doesn't smile, keeps his head down, but he does acknowledge her presence, at least, hand going to her waist to steady her, because these are the tallest heels she's worn in a while.

"And who might you be, young lady?" the old man, one she recognizes vaguely from a magazine, and the name "Elias" comes to mind.

"Darcy Lewis, assistant to Dr. Jane Foster and general Avenger-wrangler. Also, I tased Thor." she throws out there, because she wants to assert the fact that she  _is not_  a nobody. No nobody is on a first-name bases with the God of Thunder.

"Well, Miss Lewis, do you happen to know this man? I don't think he—"

"This? Why this is Doctor Bruce Banner, our gamma radiation expert and sometimes Not-So-Jolly Green Giant." Darcy replies, and now there is an edge to her voice. She's got an acid tongue, which is probably good because the only other defense she has is her taser.

Oh, and an  _army of super powered weirdos._

(And she uses the term weirdos with the utmost affection. No one normal is any fun.)

"You mean... he's... well he shouldn't be here at all! Tony Stark has put this entire building in danger—" Elias starts again, and Darcy's about to  _curse him the fuck out_  when another presence joins them.

"Gentleman." Steve greets. Oh Steve. Sweet, adorable, loyal Steve. Except right now, he doesn't look so sweet and adorable. There's a hardness in his face, and his hand goes to Bruce's shoulder.

"Dr. Banner—" he starts.

"Bruce." he correct automatically, and then looks like he regrets talking.

"Bruce." Steve repeated. "Pepper's about to open her present from Tony, and he wants you there. He, ah... well, he said he absolutely refused to allow it to happen without the rest of his team, especially his... science bro." he finishes, looking a bit confused with the general gist of what he's just said.

"Yes, go!" Darcy speaks hurriedly, pushing Bruce into Steve, who leads him off to the front of the room. Darcy rounds on the business men in front of him.

"Look, I might not be an Avenger, but I'm pretty tight with like, all of them. Especially Point Break over there. You mess with Bruce, you mess with me. And then you mess with the team." she warns, before she straightens in a dignified manner, and stomps off, heading to the front of the room because dammit, she wants to see Pepper's present too.

For a moment, she's struggling to see through the crowd, when it parts suddenly, and Thor tugs her forwards to the front, making her grin in satisfaction.

The bracelet Pepper lifts from the box is small and silver, and for a moment, Darcy's disappointed, because she was sure it would be more than that. Maybe a puppy. Or a tiger.

But then the bracelet begins to glow. It glows the blue of the arc reactor, and Pepper's entire face melts into an expression of awe and utter adoration of Tony, who is smiling, but  _nervously_ , and of all the times Darcy doesn't have a camera it his to be now.

Wordlessly, Pepper pulls Tony forwards, hugging him tightly around the neck, and Tony's grinning now, his usual "I am so awesome" attitude back in place, and for a moment, Darcy's so focused on holding back her squeals that she doesn't notice Bruce sidling up beside her.

"Thank you." he murmurs quietly, looking embarrassed, but also looking grateful, and like he really might like her.

"Anytime, Doc." she grins.

This time, Bruce kisses Darcy's cheek.


	5. Skin

She finds it amazing that after living with them for two months, she can still learn brand new things that she would have never even guessed.

She also sometimes finds it annoying.

 _Why_  Pepper Potts thought this was a good idea was beyond her, but here they are, in an empty grocery store, ready to do shopping. Darcy suspects that at first it was only supposed to be Tony, but he probably threw a fit and insisted if he had to suffer the embarrassment of grocery shopping, the others would, too.

"Okay... half of you don't know what half of these things are... and the other half are probably going to break something, so let's partner up. Grab a cart, get what you want... meet back at the registers in, say... forty minutes?" Pepper is a natural born organizer, so no one argues.

"I can't believe I'm here." Darcy hears Maria mutter under her breath, before she turns to the first person in their group not to jump to a partner. "Come on, soldier." Maria addresses Steve, and walks off. He hurries to follow, mumbling a "Yes, ma'am."

Jane has already lead Thor off, directly to the breakfast foods aisle, and Darcy has no doubt that their cart will return filled with Pop Tarts and coffee. Naturally, Pepper is with Tony, proudly wearing her new bracelet as she slides her hand into his, and walks away, heels clicking. Clint and Natasha glance around warily, as if looking for bombs, before they head for the fruits and vegetables.

"Stupid... healthy assassins." she mutters, and turns to the only one remaining. "Guess it's you and me, Doc." she smirks, and Bruce drops his head, smiling that little half smile that makes Darcy forget how to breathe.

"I guess so..." Bruce replies, as Darcy wheels their cart off, humming. He follows after her immediately, and Darcy looks over.

"So, what're you here for?" she asks, tossing her hair over her shoulder in what at first she plans to be a flirty fashion, but doing so knocks her glasses askew, and she adjusts them with a sheepish smile.

"Oh, uh, there's nothing really I need, I—"

"Oh, don't give me that, Bruce. You're going to be living in Avengers Tower, at least get something you  _want_." Darcy replied, giving him a look that makes Thor submit meekly.

(Granted, Thor has a weakness for lady friends in general, so maybe it isn't all that terrifying.)

Bruce is quiet for a moment, before finally looking up, meeting her gaze. "I like tea." he replied faintly.

"Tea it is." Darcy replies, and marches off, Bruce in tow, to find wherever they're keeping the tea. And then Darcy insists they get the expensive stuff, because Tony's paying and would probably insist on it, too. (Because science bros stick together, that's why.)

_-_

"Oh my god, everyone, sit down, because I am about to be brilliant." Tony announces when they arrive home and in the living room, which is connected to the kitchen. Their arms are laden with plastic bags, (the majority on Steve and Thor,) and they turn to glare daggers at him, because some of these are heavy and are biting into their skin.

"We're all cooking dinner tonight. Team bonding activity. I demand it. You too, Hill." he adds, looking over at the brunette, whose eyes widen in protest.

"My only job was too—"

"Escort and assist the Avengers in their ventures outside and anything that may cause them harm." Tony quotes, "And seeing as we've got a demigod who's probably never seen an oven, and a super soldier that's never seen a  _modern_  oven, there's a big chance this could cause us harm." he finishes with a grin.

"We're doing it! Now can we hurry up and put these  _down_?" Darcy cries, exasperated, and everyone hastens to agree, dropping bags everywhere.

It takes a while to get everything put away, but eventually, it happens, and now, they're all given assignments. Pepper and Jane are in charge, naturally, because they're the only ones that actually know how to cook anything. They set Bruce and Darcy on sauce duty, because spaghetti is the easiest thing to make, and the moment Darcy hears he's her partner again, she forgets about everyone else.

"Hope you know what you're doing, because I've been raised on microwave dinners and ramen." she smiles sweetly, dropping her head on Bruce's shoulder, and not missing the way his entire body tenses. "Relax, Doc, I'll be careful." she adds, walking off to one of the stove tops with him, grinning softly and pouring the three jars of sauce into a pot, to start heating it.

"We should add spices or something." Bruce mentions. "Do you want to look for them?" he added, as he slid his glasses out of his pocket and put them on, as if this was just another experiment, just another problem to figure out.

"Sure thing." Darcy replies, and starts opening cabinets to search. When she finds them, they're too high, but she tries to reach them anyways, and that's when Bruce looks over at her.

His mouth is open, poised to ask a question, but that small sliver of pale skin that flashes in the space between her t-shirt and her jeans is doing funny things to his stomach, and he immediately shuts his mouth. Call him a pervert all you want, (Tony,) but Bruce is a man, and really, who can blame him for staring? Eventually, though, he shakes himself from his trance, and he walks over, to reach up and grab the never-opened box of spices, pressing it into Darcy's hands.

"Thanks." Darcy replied with a bright smile, looking up at him. And for another moment, he is frozen. He manages to nod, and head back to the pot, where they continue his work, Bruce forcing himself to interact normally, which isn't hard, because he's always been nervous around her.

All he knows is that night, he can't stop thinking about how his skin would look against hers. He's so dark, from years of running, of hiding in countries without shelter, the sun beating down on him constantly. And she's so pale, from sitting out at night waiting for a distortion in the sky that will change her life.

Rolling over, he closes his eyes, and falls asleep feeling the burn of her mouth against his cheek, and wonders why he didn't get a kiss tonight.


	6. Sick

Darcy can't ever remember feeling this horrible.

(Actually, she probably can. Any time Darcy gets sick, according to her, is the worst time, and every time she's sure she's going to die. Ask Jane. Seriously.)

But that's beside the point. She wants so desperately to be able to get up and join Jane and Tony in the lab. Bruce is out, but if he was there, she'd totally be there for him, too. Jane has come to check on her, and sighs when she pulls her hand away from Darcy's forehead.

"You're burning up, Darce. You've been like this for three days. Hate me if you want, but I'm calling Bruce." Jane spoke in  _that_  voice. The eternal mother hen. Thor is there as well, standing back and observing Darcy worriedly.

"Don't worry, buddy. I'm good." she assures, hand darting out from under her comforter for a split second to give him a thumbs up, before she yanks it back in quickly. Has it always been that cold in her suite? Maybe calling Bruce is a good idea...

_-_

She wakes hearing voices, one Jane's, most definitely, and the other is a familiar slur of a murmur, and Darcy grins stupidly, because  _Bruce_.

"That's all right, Miss Foster, I can take care of her." Bruce assures when Jane starts to follow him in. She gives an exasperated little sigh, and Darcy's thinking,  _'You know, you little traitor. Don't you dare ruin this for me.'_  when she hears Jane speak again.

"Bruce... we work in the same lab almost every day. Please. Call me Jane." her voice has a smile in it, and she hears her murmur something, presumably to Thor, because he thinks any time not spent with Jane or fighting is time wasted, and she's walking away. Her bedroom door is opening, and then he's there, shrugging his bag off of his shoulder and setting it in a chair Jane had recently been occupying by her bed.

"Hey, Doc." she croaks, giving a small and weak, but still very Darcy smile.

"Hello, M—"

"Don't you dare." she warns with an attempt at a glare.

And then he's smiling that little half-smile with his head ducked, and she hides a grin under her blanket. "Hello, Darcy." he corrects himself, pulling his glasses from his inside jacket pocket and sliding them onto his nose.

"When did the symptoms first appear?" he questions, and he's adorable when he's in doctor mode, all serious and focused, but she won't tell him that, because she really  _does_ feel bad.

"Three days ago." she replied, thinking to herself.

"And what have you been experiencing?" he asks, digging through his bag in silence, and pulling out a thermometer.

"I've had a pretty high fever, everything hurts. Well, I mean it's all sore. 'Ve been feeling pretty weak, too, and I have a headache most of the time." she replies, before opening her mouth obediently, allowing him to stick the thermometer under her tongue. She sits in silence until it beeps, and he pulls it out, tilting his head up a little to look down through his glasses, before nodding. "One hundred and two." he murmurs absently, clicking the button on the end so the hygienic plastic cover thingy pops off and drops into the trash can by her bed. (Recently moved there, just in case she couldn't make it to the bathroom.)

"Open your mouth again, please." Bruce speaks, and Darcy does as told, sticking her tongue out. Ordinarily, she would take full advantage of this situation, and make some lewd comment, but she feels a sick girl flirting with her doctor is a little bit pathetic.

"Your throat is red. Have you been coughing, too?" he asks.

"Yeah, but it's like a dry cough, you know?" she questions, and Bruce nods, before pulling his glasses off.

"I need to take some blood." he comments, pulling a capped syringe out of his bag, as well as a long strip of rubber, a bottle of rubbing alcohol, and cotton balls. "Is that all right?" he questions.

"Yeah, I'm fine with needles." she assures, sitting up slightly to lean against the headboard, watching with vague interest as Bruce ties off her arm, cleans the crease in her elbow and pulling latex gloves on, before pushing the needle into her arm. She feels the slight burn of the needle as it goes into her arm, and watches as the vial slowly fills with her blood. Bruce pulls the needle out, immediately pressing a small wad of gauze to where he'd stuck her, before glancing up at her. "What color?" he asks with a slight smile, gesturing to the different colored rolls of medical tape on her bedside table.

Darcy studies them each, as if the decision will affect her entire life hereafter wards, and finally, she nods. "Green." she replies, watching as Bruce nods, then winds it around her arm, before standing. "I'll be back in a little while, after it processes. I have an idea, but it's better to be sure. Go to sleep, Darcy." he murmurs gently, and she's too tired to argue, settling down in her covers once more, closing her eyes.

It feels like only a few moments have passed when there's suddenly a warm hand on her shoulder, and a voice is murmuring her name softly. She rolls to her side, blinking her eyes open to look at Bruce in the dim light. He's without his bag, but he is holding an orange bottle of pills.

"You've got the flu, Darcy." he comments quietly, popping the bottle open, and shaking one of the little pills into his palm. It's then she notices the glass of water on her table. He must have brought it in with him. "This is Relenza. It's an antiviral drug, and—"

"Bruce, I trust you, okay? You don't have to tell me everything's gonna be all right. I know you'll take care of me." she cuts him off in a mumble, and she smiles up at him.

Bruce nods, before holding out the pill to her, and the glass of water. She takes it silently, and lays back once more, sighing, relaxing.

"Thank you, Bruce. C'mere." she mumbles.

"What?" he questioned, frowning in slight confusion as he moves over. She reaches out, grasping his collar to tug him down, and kiss his cheek quickly, quietly.

"Thanks." she mumbles, before she rolls over, and is asleep again. Bruce reaches out, hesitating, before he tucks her hair away from her face, and leans down on his own now, to press a quiet kiss to her temple.

"You're welcome, Darcy." he murmurs, before he's gone.

_-_

A week later, she's utterly back to normal, strutting into the lab with purpose. When she notices Tony hasn't yet wandered down to the lab, she knows it's the perfect time. Marching across the lab, Bruce looks up to greet her, and is startled when she throws her arms around him suddenly, and presses her mouth firmly to his. It's gloriously awkward with Jane staring, mouth agape, but also, it's so very  _them_  that Darcy thinks its perfect. She pulls back with a grin, because Bruce was  _totally kissing her back_ , and she adjusts her glasses.

"Thanks for healing me, Doc." she winks, before she walks out, throwing a swing into her hips because  _damn_  if she doesn't feel like a fucking movie star. Just before the door closes, she hears Bruce give a faint, "You're welcome." and she smirks to herself.

Now she just needs to think of their perfect first date...


	7. She Knows

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was more of a drabble in addition to this story.

" _Agent Romonoff, could you please escort Dr. Banner back to his—"_

" _Back where? You rented my room."_

" _The cell was just in case—"_

" _ **In case**  you needed to kill me but  **you can't** , I know,  **I tried**. … I got low. I didn't see an end so I put a bullet in my mouth and the Other Guy  **spit it out.**  So I moved on. I focused on helping people, I was good until you dragged me back into this freak show and put everyone here at risk!"_

Darcy is shaking, staring at the screen in silent disbelief, and Tony looks up, raising an eyebrow.

"What's got you so freaked out, short stuff?" he asks, but she's already gone, practically sprinting out of the room and making a beeline for the lab. Curious, Tony walks over to the screen, and slowly, he frowns. Sighing, he shuts it down, turning back to the suit, and he just hopes. Hopes that Darcy will handle this well. Getting mad at him will only make things worse. It's then he realizes that he needs to see this. Not for blackmail, but because Bruce is his friend, and everything hinges on this one moment. "Pull up surveillance in Banner's lab, Jarvis." Tony speaks, pulling off his safety glasses.

"Yes, sir." is Jarvis' usual reply, the screen appearing in front of Tony in an instant.

_-_

Darcy flies into the lab, and Bruce looks up to say 'hi', but he doesn't get a chance before he has his arms full of her. She hugging him tightly and he just  _doesn't understand_  when she presses a bruising kiss to his mouth.

"What on earth is wrong?" he asks, and he's worried now. Has something happened to Jane? Maybe Thor? And he feels his heart skip a beat when she pulls back, and her eyes are shining with unshed tears.

But she doesn't look sad. Not really. She doesn't look angry, or happy, or any other  _normal_  emotion for tears. She looks... determined.

"I will never, ever,  _ever_  let you feel like that again." she says it as a promise, and then her face is pressed into his neck and she's hugging him again, his arms falling around her automatically. For the briefest of moments he is confused, and then realization breaks across his face.

Darcy knows. She knows what he tried to do, and she's promising to keep that from happening again.

And, looking down slightly, seeing soft waves of dark brown hair and feeling her breath across his collar, Bruce believes her.


	8. Tag Team

Darcy is a people person. She's good at making friends, she always seems to know what to say, and generally, people like her. And along with being a people person, she's always been able to read people well. With Steve, there was the whole, man out of time aspect, but underneath was a determination to battle on, and prove to people he didn't need the pitying looks they often shot his way. Bruce, that was obvious. He was always careful, always cautious, always afraid he was going to hurt someone, but then beneath that was the almost crippling desire to help people, and the desperate need for someone, anyone to understand and accept him for who and what he was.

Natasha and Clint were a little more difficult, but spending more time in their company, Darcy had gotten to know them. Natasha was fiercely protective of the people she loves, and she would do anything,  _anything_  to keep them safe. Clint was the same way, but there was also the soft spot for kids. He didn't want any of them to end up like he and Natasha had, and he often used his rank as a means of keeping children  _out of this._

Thor you didn't need to read. Thor wore his heart on his sleeve and always let you know what he was thinking, how he was feeling. Loki she hadn't seen much of, but she knew that beneath the anger, the bitterness towards mortals and his family, was the child that had been lied to his entire life. Who had felt second, always to his brother, but who still desperately craved his brother's love, while at the same time being  _so afraid_  to just accept it.

And then there was Tony. Tony, shockingly, was the hardest of all, because she had not ever, since she first moved into the Tower, had seen his mask fall. But she knew enough about him that she could piece things together. She knew that he had been born and raised in the spotlight, people constantly watching, expecting things from him, and even though he'd accomplished so much, none of it had mattered, because the only person whose opinion had mattered just hadn't cared. And then he'd gone to Afghanistan, where his only friend in that awful cave had died because Tony _hadn't been fast enough, hadn't been smart enough_ to get them both out. (Darcy didn't agree, but she knew that was how Tony viewed it.) He'd come home to Obidiah Stane, who'd worked to get rid of him in the first place, and finding out about that had probably broken him utterly, because Stane had been like a father. Stane was supposed to have cared, and he hadn't. He'd hated. So she knew he had trust issues, and Pepper was probably the only one around here he wasn't constantly watching, waiting for them to turn on him, hurt him, break him.

But she also knew that all of the people that inhabited the top floors of the Tower, (AKA The Avengers, Darcy, and Jane.), loved Tony. They all cared about him, and they were all ready to protect him from the next person that came along and tried to hurt him. And it was the same for anyone else on the top floors. They were friends. They were a family.

Today, it was time for them to protect Tony.

The people at the party had been different. They hadn't trusted Bruce because they didn't know how he was, and how the Other Guy was. Not trusting and genuinely hating were two very different things.

Darcy knew right away when she saw General Ross, she did  _not_  like him. And she knew Tony didn't, either, because Tony stood directly in front of him, arms crossed, eyes narrowed, and a frown on his face. He was silent, not even taunting, and that's why Darcy knew something was wrong.

She stood in the doorway to the lab, and tilted her head a bit, watching as Bruce tried to make himself as unnoticeable as possible, while at the same time, looking like he wanted to do something, say something, get Ross  _away from Tony._

"You know what we're here for, Stark." Ross spoke, blowing cigar smoke into Tony's face, and Darcy had to hand it to him, because he didn't even flinch.

"You're not taking it." Tony replied simply, and for a moment, Darcy thought that he was talking about Bruce, but she imagined Bruce would look more worried if it had been about him.

"We don't want that one, we know you have spares. You've created a new element, Stark, we need to know what it can do." Ross replied in his gravelly tone.

"And to test my new element you need one of  _my_  arc reactors? Yeah, I'm a genius, and I don't see how that adds up." Tony replied with a patronizing roll of his eyes. Darcy padded into the room slowly, silently, heading for Bruce.

"What is going on?" she whispered.

"Ross wants one of Tony's arc reactors, and he wants it bad. This could get ugly." Bruce murmured back, and he was sliding his glasses off now, rolling his sleeves up to his elbows and stepping out from behind his desk.

"You don't have a choice here, Star—"

"Yes, he does, Ross. I don't know how you got up here, and I don't know if Fury even knows you're here, but you need to leave." Bruce speaks in a stern, almost cold voice she's never heard him use before, and she knows immediately that the two must have history.

"Banner," Ross spits with all the condescension in the world, "knew you were on the team, didn't think they'd keep you around. You know, Betty's married now, and if you go anywhere near her, I'll—"

"You'll what?" Darcy speaks, and now she's standing beside Bruce, hands on her hips. "Sorry,  _General_ , but Betty is no longer a factor. Kind of why  _I'm_  around, but I guess you wouldn't know that, would you?" she sneered.

"The hell are you?" Ross snapped.

"Darcy Lewis, badass extraordinaire. Current girlfriend of Mean and Green and best friend of all the Avengers." she replied simply, as if that would be enough to get him off her.

"Listen here you little—"

"Don't make me angry, Ross. You won't like me when I'm angry." Bruce warned quietly, and apparently there was enough Hulk in his eyes to make Ross pause, before his gaze focused on Tony, who was grinning like it was Christmas.

"Didn't know you had bodyguards now, Stark." he murmured.

"Uh, hello? Did you not hear what I just said? Best friend. Friend. This is generally a friendly thing to do for a friend, defending them from psycho Generals who think just because they're in the army they're entitled to everything." Darcy snorted in response.

"I think it's best you leave, sir." a new voice says from behind Ross, who spins to face the two expressionless faces of the master assassins. Natasha is giving him a withering look, arms crossed, and Clint is staring with one hand on the bow slung across his chest.

Ross looks back and forth between the five of them, before he smiles, humorlessly. "I guess all the freaks have to stick together, huh?"

"That's right." Darcy replied, smiling sweetly. "Oh, my buddy will escort you out." she adds, and moves to the door, leaning out of it. "Thor!" she shouts into the hallway. It's a few moments before the Thunder God appears.

"Yes, Lady Darcy?" he asks, and she waves him down to whisper in his ear. His curious expression goes hard, and he nods.

"Of course, anything for my friends." he nods, and walks over, one large hand going to Ross's shoulder, and steering him forcefully out, down the stairs. Darcy only wishes Steve could have gotten in on this, but unfortunately, he's off learning about his new time.

Tony says nothing of it, but Darcy knows he appreciates it. Especially when she wakes up and finds the pair of shoes she was drooling over the other day sitting in a box at the end of her bed. Bruce informs her that Tony's just finished a pair of pants that may rip around the calves in his transformation, but they'll survive the change back, too. Clint is heard exclaiming about some new additions to his bow he doesn't remember sending to the lab, and Natasha is wearing a new pair of earrings when she walks into the kitchen the next morning. Jane whispers to Darcy about an alarming amount of Pop Tarts that arrived in the room she shared with Thor, but Darcy merely grins.

Because she and Bruce totally tag teamed General Ross, switched out with Clint and Natasha, and got him sent off by Thor, the referee.

Oh yeah. Her life is awesome.


	9. Thanksgiving

"Tony, I need help." Darcy whines the moment she enters the lab. Bruce doesn't mind. He doesn't understand why people think he should be the first thing on her mind every day. Their lives are too complicated for that. But regardless, even as Darcy is whining to Tony, she walks over, dragging her feet childishly, and collapses on Bruce's lap, all over his papers, arms draping around his neck.

"What's up, kid?" Tony asks, not looking up from his work, because teasing Bruce and Darcy about their relationship is no fun. Darcy is like Tony. When she does something she does it with pride.

"Well, I was walking through the kitchen and I happened to look at the calendar-" she started.

"We have a calendar?" Bruce interrupts, brow furrowed in surprise.

"Pepper." is Tony's simple answer.

"Yes, Pepper. Anyways, Tony, it's November, already. Thanksgiving is  _tomorrow_. And, seeing as I can't go home because that'd be too risky, we better have a freakin' feast here. I need my pig out, cheat on my diet day!" she demands.

"You're not on a diet." Bruce deadpans.

"Okay, then I need I day when I can feel like all the  _normal_  women of America and  _pretend_  I'm cheating on my diet!" Darcy replies, after giving Bruce's ear a tug for ruining her reasoning.

"You got it kid, I'll order all the food you can-" Tony starts, and is startled when Darcy nearly shouts "No!" Startled enough that he looks up from his suit, and pulls the safety goggles away from his face.

"We all have to make something and contribute it!" Darcy explains now, wriggling out of Bruce's arms and standing behind him instead, hand in his hair, smoothing through, nails running gently against his scalp. "That's what Thanksgiving  _is_." she adds, pouting.

Tony stares at her for a full minute, before he bursts out laughing. "You've got to be kidding me, Darce. The last time I tried to cook something was on a plane-"

"And for Pepper and it was inedible. She's told me the story." Darcy replies with a roll of her eyes. "I know you can't cook, Tony. You can just supply drinks and look pretty." she adds earnestly, and Bruce tilts his head back, takes one look at her face, and is instantly looking at Tony once more, though his eyes are pleading.

Tony looks back and forth between the two, before he curses. "Well shit. Fine, whatever. But I'm not eating anything Thor brings, got it? Do you know what he put on the grocery list? 'Three plump oxen.' Oxen, Darcy." he groans, and pulls his goggles back down. He's about to start the soldering iron again when he's suddenly knocked to the side.

Darcy stands with a grin on her face and her arms around him. "Thanks, Tony!" she beams, kisses his cheek, runs over to Bruce's desk to press a quick kiss to his mouth, before she's grabbing her jacket and darting out the door, sprinting upstairs, presumably to inform the others of their last-minute assignment.

_-_

"Wow, I'm impressed." Darcy compliments as she watches Clint pull the finished turkey out of the oven, steaming in the kitchen.

"If there's one thing I can do, it's cook a damn turkey." Clint replies proudly, as he sets it on the stove and pulls the oven mitts off.

"And fight an alien invasion, and use a bow and arrows as modern weapons, and-" Darcy starts, but a flick on the back of the head stops her.

"We get it, Darcy." Natasha says, strolling past her with that little hint of a smile that means she's joking. Or about to kill you. Darcy's hoping it's joking, though. She's carrying three pies with her. One Darcy identifies easily as chocolate, and one she thinks might be banana cream. The last must be a fruit one, (Darcy hopes apple), because there is a crust over the top.

"What'd you make?" Clint questioned, tilting his head upon turning and seeing Darcy empty handed.

"Potato casserole, sittin' right there." Darcy replies, gesturing to the large, covered pan on the counter. Bruce enters now, carrying a large bowl with a top on it with him. His glasses are slightly crooked, and with a grin, Darcy fixes them.

"Uh... stuffing." he speaks finally, lifting the bowl slightly for emphasis, before setting it on the counter.

"Let's set the table, I think Pepper's almost done with hers, and Thor and Loki are playing with the ice cream maker." Clint looks alarmed for a moment, but Darcy holds up a hand. "Jane's supervising." she adds, and grabs a fistful of silverware, marching into the dining room to start placing a fork, a knife, and a spoon at each place mat. Bruce follows with a stack of huge dinner plates, and Clint and Natasha go about setting mugs down.

Tony's got an array of drinks in pitchers on the table. At least if he wasn't cooking, he got the fancy stuff.

'Oh hell, he would've gotten the fancy stuff no matter what.' Darcy thinks with a smile, setting forks, knives, and spoons at each place with a smile. The elevator gives a soft 'ping', and Steve enters the room with a big smile. This is another reason Darcy wanted them to celebrate. She knew if anyone, Steve would appreciate it the most. He's carrying three containers. One with cranberry sauce, another with mashed potatoes, and a last with gravy. Darcy goes to take a few, as Pepper enters with her green bean casserole, a smile, and her boyfriend.

"Let's get this food on the table, guys, I'm starving." Clint speaks loudly, and it's done. They'll apparently have some ice cream with their pie, because Loki did his whole, 'Hey, I'm a frost giant.' thing, and Thor has assured them that it tastes wonderful.

Her plate is full and Darcy's about to dig in when Steve clears his throat at the end of the table, looking a bit self conscious. Oh right.

"Can we, um... say grace?" he questions, and it's a little timid. He knows the times are different, but Darcy's more than willing to give him this. She reaches out for Bruce's hand, and then Jane's, and gradually, they're all connected, hands held. Steve says a quick prayer, and Darcy appreciates that because she might shrivel up any second now, and then they're free.

The food is great. She's amazed that all of them managed this. She had been sure something would go wrong. The turkey would be burned, or some crazy guy would attack, but hey, if she was evil, she'd still want a 'cheat on my diet' day, too.

There's talking and laughing and it'd be a story book moment if they weren't who they were.

And Darcy  _thinks_  its perfect until Bruce's hand finds hers under the table and gives it a squeeze. That's when she  _knows_  it's perfect.


	10. Desperation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sexytimes.

She's breathing hard, and she's not even the one who might be hurt. Her hands are everywhere, smoothing over Bruce's abdomen, up his arms, into his hair, and her mouth is on his, hungry and desperate. Bruce tries to stop her, to pull back and talk to her, but she merely shakes her head, a soft whimper escaping her, and he falls into her.

He took a  _missile._ A  _missile_ for the good Captain, and she knows he can take it and she knows he's okay, but she won't be satisfied until she can  _feel_ him. All of him, everywhere.

"Please Bruce. Please." she whispers, and his fingers are fumbling on the buttons of her blouse, but she doesn't care because she finally gets this. Gets him. All to herself.

"N-not here." Bruce manages, because they're standing in the middle of his room and Bruce is a little bit adorable and sweet, so he pushes her back towards his bedroom, and Darcy stumbles along willingly while trying to keep her mouth attached to his, and it doesn't go so well, because they trip and land in a sprawl of tangled limbs on the bed.

Darcy lets out an involuntary giggle, and Bruce smiles sheepishly, and it's so  _them_  that it doesn't even ruin the mood. But now Darcy's a little less urgent, and she just wants to  _touch_  him.

"What is this all about, Darcy?" Bruce whispers before his tongue is tracing the shell of her ear, teeth teasing the lobe softly and making her suck in a deep breath.

"You almost died, Bruce. You always almost die... I can't take it... I need to make sure- oh! -that you're okay." she speaks back and wow when did she get so breathless? Her hands are sliding up his back and into his hair, drawing his head to the side once more to push her tongue into his mouth.

"I'm sorry." is all Bruce offers, before he dips his head and his mouth is hot on her collarbone, sliding lower and lower. His hands go behind her, and Darcy's so glad she wore her favorite bra today. Matching panties and all, but soon its halfway across the room and she's gasping his name.

With her bottom lip between her teeth, she brings her hips up to grind slowly against his, making him pause, and a low groan to issue from his throat.

"Darcy... you can't... I'm going to just... slow down." he whispers.

"I don't  _want_  to, Bruce." Darcy whispers, and reaches down to push the tatters of his shorts off.

His hands are more steady now as he unzips her pencil skirt, and pushes it down along with her panties. She'll remember to be disappointed he didn't get to see them later because she can feel him, now, hot and hard against her thigh, and just knowing what's coming sends a shiver wracking through her body.

Darcy is no virgin. That much is obvious to anyone with eyes and ears, but she can't ever remember  _wanting_  someone  _so much_  like she wants Bruce right now.

Bruce whispers something she can't understand, and it's a second before she realizes it's in a  _different language_  when he pushes against her center, and he's there and it's all she can do to stop herself from begging.

Her hand slides between them now, to grasp him and guide him to where she wants him. Bruce has gone very still, his brow furrowed and her name is clumsy on his lips when he finally pushes into her with a choked groan.

For a second she's content to savor the feeling of being so  _filled_ , and then he's moving.

Normally, she's very take charge and in control, even in the bedroom, but now all she wants to do is wrap her arms around his shoulders and scrape her teeth against his neck. It isn't long at all before he finds a steady rhythm, and she gasping out at the dark room and he's making soft noises against her neck.

She can feel herself getting closer, slowly, and she likes the gradualness of it until Bruce reaches between them and presses him thumb against her clit.

Her head falls back with her mouth wide open, lips in a perfect 'o' and she's pleading with him now. Bruce Bruce please oh god please. Some curses are in there too, but she's always had a filthy mouth and it would be out of place if she didn't.

She knows he's almost there when his rhythm breaks, and he's a little bit rougher, and she pulls him down to whisper his name in his ear and then he's groaning and she can feel him spilling inside of her.

Another sharp jerk of his hips and she's coming too, head thrown back and nearly yelling his name as he pants against her neck, one hand twisted into her hair. He's sweaty and spent and  _heavy_  as he sinks down on top of her, but she doesn't care, and she keeps one arm around his shoulder as she drags her hand through his hair, murmuring his name while hers is coming from his mouth.

Eventually, he manages to roll off of her, and Darcy reaches blindly for the sheets to pull them up and over them. Hurriedly, she curls against his side, while his arm goes around her waist.

They're both quiet, and Darcy thinks he might have fallen asleep until his hand twitches against her hip.

"You know... if you want to do that every time I come back from a mission... I wouldn't mind." she can hear the small smile in his voice and laughter spills from her mouth, loud and happy and  _her._

"I will strongly consider it." Darcy promises with a devious little grin, and she drops her head into the juncture of his shoulder. She falls asleep with a smile on her face and her legs tangled with his, and she's happy. Because he's okay and  _they're_  okay and she was so sure he would freak and run when their relationship hit this point.

But he didn't, and she's  _happy_ because that means Bruce is better. Not perfect but better.

And perfect is so overrated anyways.


	11. Loki

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My Loki feels got too much for me and I had to put them somewhere. What he describes is my personal headcanon, but hey, believe whatever you want.

They're out on a mission, and for once Darcy isn't sitting in her room anxiously awaiting news. Bruce, Tony, and Nick Fury himself had all made it abundantly clear to her that the mission was recon only. That Bruce was going for Bruce, not for the Other Guy.

She's wandered up to maybe find Pepper and Jane and have a girls night or something, but she's surprised when the elevator doors roll open and she sees someone rather unexpected silhouetted against the window and the night sky.

"Hey, Loki." Darcy greets, walking into the dark living room towards him, and he inclines his head slightly to acknowledge her.

"Miss Lewis." he greets in a murmur.

"Hey, dude, it's Darcy. Seriously." she replies, waltzing over to stand next to him at the window, staring up at the clear sky. "What're you doing? You usually never leave the library." she adds in question.

"I was reading about Midgardian constellations, and I was tired of merely observing the pictures in your books." Loki answers after a moment.

"Wanna teach me?" she questions, and Loki looks startled for a moment.

"I... suppose." he replied after a moment of hesitation, but Darcy's already marching away and over to a closet to pull her jacket and boots on, grabbing a blanket as well.

"C'mon, it's better from the roof." she speaks, and Loki is so swept up in the hurricane that is Darcy that he's on the roof before he even realizes he decides to follow. Darcy drops to her bum, sitting with her knees to her chest and blanket wrapped around her, looking up at him expectantly.

Gradually, Loki sinks down beside her, stiff at first, but as his eyes begin to trace the sky, a familiar sight, (because apparently it's the same in Asgard), his shoulders drop, and he lifts a hand to trace out constellations for her, speaking of their names and the stories behind them.

Darcy thinks he's definitely using some kind of magic, because she can actually  _see_  faint lines connecting each star, allowing her to see the picture before they fade into his words. Liesmith and Silver Tongue, they call him, but she doesn't think that's all he's good for.

His words paint images in her head, so vivid and realistic that it leaves her nearly breathless. She's enjoying herself, she realizes, and as the minutes blend into hours, they fall into a comfortable, companionable silence.

When she tilts her head to study him from the corner of her eyes. She knows he must notice, but if he's gonna let her, why not?

The first thing she sees is the hair. Like ink was poured over his head, giving it just the faintest blue hue. Then it's the skin, as pale as her own, and she thinks maybe if they really do take that beach trip Tony promised, it won't be just her and Natasha hiding their sensitive skin under the umbrella. Finally, she hits the eyes, and they're such an unnatural shade of green that something pushes at the back of her mind.

"Hey Loki?" she questions, because damn if she's going to drop this.

"Yes... Darcy?" he asked, his head turning to face her now.

"When you lead the invasion on Manhattan," she starts, because there's no sugarcoating it and she's observed him enough to know he dislikes it when they dance around the topic, "Your eyes. They were... they weren't green. They were blue. Scary blue, like Clint's were when he was under your control. Why?" his expression has almost closed, but there's something there. He  _wants_  to talk about it, she knows he does, and if it can't be Thor is has to be someone.

He's quiet for a long time, but Darcy's gotten good at waiting, with Bruce for a boyfriend and Natasha as her friend.

"When I fell from the Rainbow Bridge, the Bifrost, I was thrown from realm to realm. I soon landed on an unknown world. I did not know of the inhabitants, but they knew of me. Of my power, my plight, and my race. I was imprisoned, and from there my mind was manipulated. It was not difficult for them. I was filled with hatred for my family... with rage of the betrayal I faced. But more than anything I hated Thor. I hated that after all I had done, he would not let me go. I hated that he would not let me hate him, that he continued to insist on the bond we had. They convinced me that attacking Midgard would hurt him. Hurt him enough that he would give up on me, leave me alone, let me go and let me hate. When I arrived on Midgard I was still myself, but... different. I truly believed what I sought would come to me, until the hideous green beast threw me into the ground. I believe I... how you mortals say, 'snapped out of it' then. It came to me that Thor would _never_  give up on me. And I should have known that. I know and love Thor more dearly than anyone, and I knew he was the only one left who cared for me. But at that point there was nothing I could do but return to Asgard to pay for my crimes." Loki speaks and his voice is sad, and his head is ducked now, his eyes on the ground, searching, waiting. She knows her next move is crucial.

"He's not the only one anymore, Loki, okay? Remember that." Darcy replied, and she gently pulls him into a hug. His body is rigid at the unexpected action, but quite suddenly he's clutching her to him, and she thinks maybe her shoulder is getting wet, but she isn't going to mention that.

They stay like that for a long while until she hears the sound of a jet approaching the Tower. She doesn't want to make him feel bad, but she's saved because Loki pulls back first, and he looks a little bit wary, a little confused.

"Not I word to anyone. I promise." Darcy replies, an presses a kiss to his cheek, standing on her knees to give him one last hug around the shoulders, before she stands and hurries off to greet Bruce, hopping into his waiting arms with a grin and a happy kiss.

"Have fun while we were gone?" he asks into her hair, swaying slightly on the spot with her.

"Mmhmm. Loki taught me about stars, and he actually made it interesting, unlike another certain astrophysicist I know." she replies, and Bruce merely nods into her hair.

"I like constellations. I bet Loki knows some good ones." Bruce murmurs, before he pulls back far enough to kiss her forehead. "I'm gonna go shower." he adds, and Darcy nods. She can tell he's too tired for her to sneak into the bathroom with him, and instead she goes into the kitchen to get a quick snack before bed and water for Bruce, humming.

_-_

She is drowsy the next morning, up a little earlier than usual and standing impatiently in front of the coffee maker when her feet suddenly leave the ground and she's crushed against a broad, familiar chest.

"Uh... morning to you too, Thor." Darcy mumbles, patting his shoulder awkwardly, because her back is against his chest and she can't exactly hug him back at this angle. All that Darcy can manage to think is  _what the fuck is going on_ when Thor speaks.

"Thank you." his voice is unusually soft and she knows this has something to do with Loki, but she promised she wouldn't say anything. She merely smiles as Thor sets her down, kissing her head and walking off, presumably to rejoin Jane in bed.

She's a little less impatient as she waits for the coffee maker.


	12. Those Days

They all had days like this. And they all dealt with them differently.

Well, Darcy didn't, because she wasn't like them. Yeah, they were Avengers, but the things they had to go through to get to that point? No thanks. Maybe she didn't have the white-picket fence, family pet, and 2.4 kids childhood, but she could confidently say hers was better than Tony and Bruce's.

Sometimes, two people have a day at the same time, and when Darcy enters the kitchen that morning, she knows one of them is Tony.

Pepper stands in front of the coffee maker with a look of impatience not normally seen on her face. Darcy's gaze travels to one, normal sized mug sitting on the counter with one, much larger mug beside it.

"Not good this morning, huh?" Darcy questions, and she understands. She understands because Bruce rolled out of bed at five in the morning without kissing her good morning. And Bruce  _always_ kisses her good morning.

"No." Pepper replies with a tired sigh, hip against the counter. Darcy has to admire Pepper, because whenever Tony has one of these days, when the what ifs won't leave you alone and all you can see is the people you let down, she cancels everything and stays with him, because Tony  _needs_  Pepper.

"Is there anything I can do?" Steve offers, having walked into the kitchen. This has happened before, and he knows the signs.

"No, he really just wants me right now." Pepper replies with a soft, sad smile, as she pours the coffee and leaves the kitchen, padding back towards Tony's room in her pajama shorts and a shirt that's probably his.

Darcy watches her go, and the chews the inside of her cheek, before she looks over. "What do you do, when you feel like that?" she asks Steve softly, and he looks up from his newspaper.

He pauses in thought, finger tapping against the side of his coffee mug. "I tend to go to the gym, if no one else is in there. And if not that, I draw." he replies, and Darcy nods. There's no need to press.

She already knows how Clint and Natasha deal with it. Normally, they find a mission together. Even if it's only one of them that's feeling that way. Because Clint and Natasha have each other's backs, from real demons to emotional ones.

Hopping off of her stool, Darcy's pretty sure she knows how to at least help Bruce.

_-_

She pads softly into the lab. It's winter, and the floors are cold. She's wearing her favorite jeans and wooly socks, with a big, NYU sweatshirt Tony got her when he'd heard she was finishing her degree there. While finishing college hadn't really been necessary, she'd started it, and dammit if she wasn't going to get a chance to hang something with her name on it in the apartment space she shared with Bruce. (Was is even an apartment, living in Avengers Tower?)

Bruce doesn't look up from where he sits at a desk, glasses on, staring down at a report with a pen in hand.

She shuffles in her spot, and before she can lose her nerve, she strides quickly across the lab, ducks under his arm, and wriggles herself into his lap, arms sliding around his neck and head dropping onto his shoulder.

This finally gets him to react.

"Darcy?" he sounds confused. "Do you need something?" he questions after a moment.

"No... just want to be with you... just keep... sciencing." she mumbles into his collar, eyes drifting shut as the whirring of lab equipment lulls her into a drowsy state.

"O... kay." Bruce replies, but she can tell she's having some affect, because his shoulders are slumping slightly, and his free hand that had been resting on the desk goes around her to tuck her close.

All the Avengers have their days. And all of them have their ways to deal with it. Now Darcy knows how to deal with Bruce's.


	13. It's Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is kind of a teaser for the next chapter, so, uh... sorry.

When she wakes way too early for a Saturday, she knows it's gonna be one of those days. Where all she wants to do is curl up under the blankets. Normally, she's used to spending these days alone, but she turns on her side and paws absently for the warm body that's generally beside her.

It isn't hard to find.

As she drags herself over to Bruce, his hand slides under the curve of her waist, securing her against him as she listens to the patter of rain on the window. The room is dark, and the clouds outside are a dark gray, seeming to stretch on endlessly.

An hour later, when Bruce wakes, she finds he isn't against staying in bed with her all day. He even gives up sciencing with Tony, and for that, she's very grateful.

They doze in and out of sleep until about ten, when Darcy's phone on the bedside table begins to ring shrilly. She groans against Bruce's neck, and rolls over, slapping against the table a few times until her hand closes around it finally, and drags it towards her.

She has to squint at the screen to see the number, and when it registers to her, she scowls, flicking at the screen to answer the call.

"It is way too early for this. You know I like to sleep." she grumbles, dropping her face into the pillow, and she feels Bruce roll, his chest pressing against her back. She knows he's curious now.

"December already? Shit... yeah... yeah... he'll come. Yeah... love you too... okay, bye." Darcy finishes, and clicks the phone's lock button.

"Who was it?" Bruce asks, his voice rough with sleep and dammit that's hot.

"Mom... wants me home for Christmas... wants to meet you." she mumbles absently, and she mentally curses when she feels Bruce tense behind her. "Don't even think about it, Banner. It had to happen. She'll love you. Daddy will too." she warns, head turning slightly to glare at him.

He looks like he's struggling with himself, before his shoulders slump and his head drops. She knows when she wins.

"I'd love to meet your parents." he speaks finally, and Darcy rolls over to slide her arms around his neck and press against him with a soft grin.

"Good boy." she teases, before she presses her mouth to his.


	14. Christmas

The flight over was calm, considering Tony insisted on them using his private plane. Bruce got nervous in crowds, especially when said crowds were compacted into a small, Hulk-breakable place. Yeah.

Darcy liked it best because Tony didn't  _do_  singular seats. She was able to sprawl out on the couch with her head in Bruce's lap and sleep through most of it. She woke occasionally to see him reading, then he'd notice her and smile that adorable little half smile, brush her hair away from her face, and go back to reading while she went back to sleep. As the plane touched down, though, she could tell he was getting nervous. From the way his hands came together, wringing nervously, to the constant adjusting of his glasses, Darcy wanted to slap him and hug him at the same time.

She settled for a sort of mixture of both.

"Bruce." she spoke, walking over to grasp his shoulders tightly, his attention snapping to her in an instant. "Everything. Is going to be fine. My parents are going to love you, my mom's going to complain about how skinny we both are, and my dad's going to stuff us with food. Do you understand?" she asked calmly.

Bruce nodded, because he was good at understanding, and with a nod of her own, Darcy marched to the open door, and out onto the empty runway. There was a single red pick up truck waiting for them, an older man standing by it with his hands in his jean pockets. When he saw her, though, he grinned.

"Hi, Daddy." Darcy greeted, bouncing forwards to throw her arms around him.

"Theeeere's my little girl." he grunted, patting her on the back with one hand, his other arm tight around her waist. They stayed like that for several moments, Bruce fidgeting awkwardly, until finally Darcy pulled back, and backed up to stand beside him.

"Dad, this is my boyfriend, Bruce. Bruce Banner. Bruce, this is my dad, Thomas Lewis." she introduced, because she could totally be serious whenever she wanted. (Thank you very much, Steve.)

"Yeah... he's an Avenger, right? The one that turns into that big... green... thing?" he questioned, leaning back for a moment to study Bruce, who seemed to be descending into an awful state of nerves. Finally, Tom stepped forwards, and slapped Bruce on the shoulder. "Saw you-well, the other you, save my little girl on the tv once. Figure you're an all right guy." he spoke, and Bruce's shoulders went slack.

"It's... great to meet you, Mr. Lewis." he spoke in his soft mumble, shifting to hold a hand out, Tom grasping it firmly and shaking, before releasing.

"Well, let's get you crazy kids home. The wife's not much of a cook, and the turkey's in the oven for tomorrow." he spoke, walking off with them to his truck. It did have a backseat, which Darcy was happy to sprawl out in while Bruce rode up front with her dad. (She'd practically wrestled him into it.) The drive is calm and uneventful, lights flashing by the windows as darkness falls slowly, and Darcy finds herself being lulled to sleep by the familiar smell of leather and pine from her father's car. She feels like it's only been a few minutes, but when a warm hand covers her shoulder and a familiar voice whispers her name softly, she finds out she's been asleep for the two hours it takes to get from her house to the airport.

She blinks several times, staring at Bruce for the few seconds it takes for her to realize he's waiting for her to get out, her father already at the front door. After several more seconds, she pulls her mouth into a pout and holds her arms out, making the most pathetic sounds she can manage. "Carry me?" she pleads, and Bruce ducks his head to hide a soft grin, complying. He leans in and slides one arm around her shoulders, the other under her legs, behind her knees, to pick her up, kicking the car door shut and walking to the door.

"She's got you wrapped around her finger, doesn't she?" Tom grunted in question when they approached, eyeing Bruce, who flushes slightly and doesn't reply. "Eh, don't feel bad, son. She's got every guy wrapped around her finger." he spoke, waving his hand dismissively as he unlocked the door and walked in, Bruce slipping in sideways after him, Darcy finally wriggling to be let down. "Yer mom's upstairs." Tom spoke, jerking his thumb over his shoulder to a staircase while marching into the kitchen, presumably to continue where he left off.

"Dear lord brace yourself." Darcy warns as she slips her hand into his and heads for the stairs, Bruce following with a fairly alarmed look. He does take a moment to study her house, though.

It's small. That much he can guess, but it's a cozy sort of small, with a hall leading from the front door to the living room that's crammed with two couches, a big tv, and a Christmas tree tucked into the corner. There's an open archway that leads to the kitchen, which is giving off an amazing smell, and then there's another archway that leads to the small dining room. He assumes a small door by the stairs leads to a bathroom.

As they make their way upstairs, he's lead down a hall, passing one room with a neatly made double bed. It's mostly clear of furniture but for an end table and a dresser. He guesses it's a guest room. There's another door at the end of the hall that's closed, her parent's room, he supposes, and finally, she stops in front of an open, soft lavender colored door.

The woman who stands by the bed looks alarmingly like Darcy, except her dark hair is graying, she's a bit taller, and, (he can't help but notice), her breasts are smaller.

"Hey, mom." Darcy greets, and the woman jumps, turning, before grinning.

"There you are, kitten." the woman greets, and walks over to pull Darcy into a tight hug. Before he can be introduced, she hugs him tightly, too.

He's rigid against her, but his manners kick in quickly enough to pat her on the back vaguely, while Darcy rolls her eyes magnificently behind her mother.

"Mom, this is Bruce. Bruce, this is my mom, Meghan." she comments, smirking slightly at the uncomfortable look on Bruce's face.

"Good to finally meet you, Bruce. Now, I put clean sheets on your bed, Darcy. Your room was filthy. I'll let you get settled and make sure we've got some wine or something for dinner." Meghan replies, spinning around once to study Darcy's room, before she nods, and walks out.

Bruce stands in silence with Darcy for a few minutes, before glancing at her. "Your mom... she's... nice." he offers finally, and it's enough to break whatever tension has formed. Darcy's laughing and he's relaxing and pulling her into him, hugging her in silence now.

"I know they're a little much, but who'd you expect to have raised me?" she questiones, smirking up at him in response, reaching up to tap his nose.

The worst part is over, and since it's late, they have a small dinner. Everyone's too tired to bother with stories, yet, so they merely retreat to their rooms for the night so they can get up early for Christmas day tomorrow.

It's a little cramped on Darcy's bed, but she's a cuddler, and Bruce doesn't mind, so it's a pretty average night for them.

When she wakes though, and stumbles downstairs to lurch towards the coffee maker, the food on the dining room table makes her stop and stare.

Her dad's already in the kitchen, flicking through the paper and sipping a steaming mug when he notices her. "Mornin', kitten." he greets, and gradually her attention is drawn to him.

"Dad... who in the name of all that his holy is going to eat all of this food?" she questions, gesturing towards the table. Tom glances over, and a flush creeps up his neck.

"Alright, I... I mighta got a little bit carried away." he concedes, and looks slightly worried about their predicament, too.

"Know what? Forget it. I'll take care of it, trust me." she comments, holding her hand up and going to the coffee. Bruce wanders down in search of her, pushing his glasses up his nose quietly. He murmurs a soft good morning while Darcy sneaks off, cell phone in hand.

Her mother is the last to join them for a quick breakfast consisting mostly of toast, pancakes, and milk. None of them eat much, they're saving room for lunch and dinner, and finally, finally, it's time for presents.

Darcy immediately drops onto the floor in front of the tree, drawing her pile towards her with a soft grin while Bruce smiles in amusement, sitting down beside her to simply watch for now.

She gets an awesome new black peacoat from her dad that will fall to at least her thighs, and a gift card to some obscure store she's going to have fun hunting down in New York, as well as a pair of boots from her mother. The present from the both of them is a seriously soft pair of green pajamas. She's in heaven. Darcy's saved Bruce's present for last on purpose, and she sees him start to fidget out of the corner of her eye.

It's small, not ring-box small, which she can't decide if she's happy or disappointed about, but it's definitely jewelry. It's risky for him. He knows she's not big on jewelry. She tears the paper away, pulling the lid off, and she pauses.

"Oh, shit, Bruce... this is so pretty..." she whispers, pulling the silver and gold bracelet from its box. It's a string of silver butterflies with soft gold accents dipped into it, a single diamond between each butterfly, in a continuous circle. "Damn..." she adds, because cursing is the best way she can express herself as Bruce reaches out to clasp it around her wrist. She can see his hands are shaking slightly, and she scoots forwards to wrap her arms around him tightly, closing her eyes as she presses her cheek to his collarbone.

His arms come around her immediately, hugging her to him as he closes his eyes and mumbles something she can't make out.

"Would you look at them, Tom... so sweet..." Meghan mumbles, wiping at her eyes vaguely, Tom wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Almost forgot... here... now it's gonna look dumb compared to yours." Darcy mumbles, pulling back and swiping at her eyes, (she is  _not_  crying, dammit), and shoves her own present for him into his waiting hands.

Bruce opens it in silence, and flicks open the box to find a large, silver watch, with a white clock face. It's much better than the leather one he used to have, (an unfortunate Hulk-out took care of that one), and he feels himself grin.

He isn't saying anything, and Darcy covers her nerves with talking.

"I thought it looked nice, and shiny things are always nice, right? But then I was worried about the whole Hulk thing, so I took it to Tony and he modified so it'll grow and shrink with you, kinda like your pants, but more like how his suit can fold into a briefcase or whatever, and he said it-" she's cut off when he kisses her suddenly, his mouth gentle against hers. She's shocked, because there is no  _way_  Bruce is kissing her in front of her parents. But he  _is_  and holy shit this is awesome.

"Thank you, Darcy." he murmurs finally upon pulling back, and before she can say anything back her mother starts to wail.

"It's like having my own soap opera!" Meghan gasps, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue while Tom rolls his eyes.

"Er, Mom? You haven't opened the present for you and dad from us, yet." Darcy comments in an attempt to distract her. It's sort of a double gift. One thing is a large, signed, framed photo of Steve, suited up and ready to go, for her dad. Steve not only signed it, but wrote a nice message, too, and Darcy's grateful for her. Her mother she had more trouble with, but Pepper helped her. It's an access code. To Avengers Tower. She has to explain that it means they can come visit the Tower and her whenever they want. She was a little hesitant about it, but she knows it's not a trip they'll make super often.

"Right, well, let's get started on lunch, huh? It'll take us forever to eat all of that." her dad speaks quickly, presumably to prevent her mother from crying again, and now, Darcy grins.

"Ah, that won't be a problem, dad." she grins, standing.

They gather outside as the storm clouds gather, thunder rolling across the sky. In a bolt of lightening, Thor appears with his usual, big smile, Jane at his side.

"It's great to see you again, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis." Jane smiles. Yeah, her parents kind of love Jane. Hell, she kind of loves Jane...

Okay, everyone kind of loves Jane.

Her father looks amazed at the amount of food Thor can put away, but in the end he's grateful, because they manage to finish all of the food.

And all too soon it's time for them to leave.

Goodbyes are not her thing, but she lets her mom flutter over her and sob until finally they're waving towards the ground as the plane takes off. When they're finally out of sight, she collapses beside Bruce with a heavy, relieved sigh.

"Okay?" Bruce questions, looking over at her from his book.

"Course. They're just a little... much sometimes, y'know?" she questions, and tilts her head towards him. They stare at each other, before he smiles softly, and she grins back.

"Merry Christmas, Bruce." she murmurs.

"Merry Christmas, Darcy." he replies softly back, leaning down to kiss her softly as the plane turns for home.


	15. Two Pink Lines

She swears she's standing there for at least five minutes, dark blue eyes trained on the little stick that rests on the rim of the sink. Two pink lines stand out against the stark white of both the sink and the stick, and it's all Darcy can do not to collapse.

Her heart is thudding rapidly in her chest, and she has to force herself to breath, remind herself that yes, it is a necessary function, no matter what Tony says. Finally, she lifts her head, staring at herself in the mirror, at the pale skin, the full, dark pink lips, long dark hair... and then her gaze moves to the woman sitting on the toilet, knees drawn up to her chest and arms wrapped tightly around them. At the amber sheets that fall around her slightly tan face, big, dark brown, intelligent eyes, the thinner lips that she's worrying between her teeth. (It's not really that her lips are that thin, just... everyone's are compared to Darcy's.)

"Holy... shit, Jane." Darcy whispers, going to sit on the edge of the tub. Jane can only nod in response, doe eyes glistening with unshed tears. "How'd it happen?" Darcy asks softly, reaching out to slide her smaller hand into Jane's, grasping tightly.

"I don't know! Thor and I—we were always so careful! I can't remember any times we forgot a condom or I forgot my birth control, I... Darcy, what do I do?" and then she's sobbing, throwing herself into Darcy's arms and clinging to her as she breaks down.

Darcy's a bit startled by Jane's reaction.

She knows it's not because she doesn't love Thor. You only have to be in the same room as them for five minutes to figure out THAT isn't the problem. But, she's always been good at reading people. And, if Darcy had to hazard a guess, she'd say that Jane's biggest fear right now is figuring out how to tell the big guy.

Now, Darcy's had friends who have had pregnancy scares before, but she had never cared about any of them as much as she cares about Jane. She and Jane shared a sacred bond, one that had been forged through months of sitting in a van at night with no one but each other and a sleepy old man to talk to. The kind of friendship founded on searching the skies for the world's biggest teddy bear in human form. Er, Asgardian form. Whatever.

Darcy strokes her hand through Jane's hair, before finally, a frown settles on her face.

"Alright, Jane, that's enough of that. We are grown, adult women, and we can handle this. First thing's first. We're gonna go straight to Bruce, and have him do one of those foolproof test things so we can know  **for sure.**  Then, we can figure out how to tell Thor." Jane's obviously craving some sort of direction right now, because she merely nods and allows Darcy to help her stand and lead her out.

Bruce is, (naturally), calm and amazing during the whole process, offering Jane words of comfort while also silently supporting Darcy with a simple hand on her back. When Bruce's tests come back positive, too, Darcy steels herself.

"Come on, scientist. We're going to tell him. Right now. The longer you wait, the worse it'll be." Darcy speaks sternly, and while Jane  _does_  nod, she looks panicked and terrified. Darcy decides to opt for a different approach.

"Jane... this is Thor we're talking about. The guy who electrocuted someone because their hand drifted a little far south. You've seen what he's like with kids when the Avengers do PR stuff. He's gonna be the ultimate godly dad, and you're gonna be the ultimate scientisty mom." her voice is soft, soothing. She's reminded vaguely of how she had to speak to younger kids when the Destroyer arrived in Puente Antiguo.

This calms Jane a little, and she nods, hands curling into little fists. Sometimes Darcy forgets how small Jane is. Definitely smaller than her. They're about the same height, (Darcy argues that Jane's shorter), but Jane is small and thin and everything about her screams "delicate."

"You're right... I can do this... I love him and he loves me, and we're gonna love our child." she replies, marching towards the door while Darcy follows, because if she doesn't Jane is probably going to run off along the way.

They find Thor in the gym with Steve. Steve's trying to explain how one of the machines work when the two women walk up behind them. Darcy needs to get rid of Steve. Nothing against the super soldier, but she figures this is the kind of thing you don't need an audience for.

"Hey, Steve. Bruce wants to see you. He said something about... okay, he said something about science, I wasn't really paying attention. Too busy staring at his—" it works, Steve cuts her off quickly.

"Thanks, Darcy. I'll just... I'll go run see him now." he replies, cheeks slightly pink, and he turns to stride out. She isn't too worried about lying to him. She knows Bruce will explain, and Steve, of all people, will understand.

"Good evening, my friend Darcy, my lady Jane." Thor greets with a happy smile, arm sliding around Jane's waist to draw her close, leaning down for a kiss, but her hand on his chest stops him. "My love, what troubles you? Are you ailing?" Thor questions, voice already filled with concern. Jane shoots Darcy a look for help, but Darcy merely shakes her head, nodding towards Thor. This is something Jane needs to do on her own.

"Thor, I... I have something important to tell you." Jane replies, taking a step back from him, wringing her hands nervously. Thor's brow furrows, and he is immediately all ears.

"Of course, my love. What troubles you?" he questions, unusually serious now.

"Thor, I... Thor, I'm pregnant." there it is. It's out there. Jane's standing straight and stiff, eyes trained on a spot over Thor's shoulder. The moment is tense, and for a split second Darcy's worried maybe this won't work out as well as she thought it would.

And then Thor does probably the most adorable thing she can possibly imagine would come out of this scenario.

He falls to his knees in front of Jane, his face level with her chest, but his eyes are cast downwards, to her stomach. His hands come up, and hesitate, before laying over her still-flat belly. Finally, his eyes lift to hers. "My love... you are... with child?" he questions, voice barely above a whisper, and Jane barely has to nod before he's swept her up and into his arms.

"This is the most wondrous news! I hope he has your eyes, my Jane. Such lovely, intelligent eyes." Thor speaks. Jane is beaming and looking a little teary-eyed again, so Darcy decides to get out of there before the "I-was-so-worried-now-love-me" sex kicks in.

Slipping into the hallway, she nearly runs into a chest as broad as Thor's, but Steve catches her. (Stupid perfect super soldiers and their stupid perfect reflexes. All they do is make her feel dumb and clumsy.)

"Did she tell him?" he questions, looking down at her.

"Yup. Everything went a-okay. Thor was Thor about it and Jane's happy. I wouldn't go in there, though. You might want to hit a different gym today, soldier." Darcy replies with a saucy grin and a wink. There's no word for how proud she is when Steve manages not to blush, merely grins sheepishly and nods.

"I was gonna head to another one, but I wanted to make sure everything was okay. I'll see you later, Darcy." Steve replies, stepping around her to pick up his gym bag and walk off.

"Later, Cap." Darcy calls after him, before she turns, and starts back towards the lab with a pleased smile.

She is going to be  _the coolest_  aunt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for almost tricking you.


	16. Lucky

"Please?"

"No."

"But it's in the name of science!"

"Just because it's for Bruce doesn't mean it's in the name of science."

"It'll make Bruce reaaaallly happy."

Dammit. Now Darcy had him. With a groan, Tony pushed himself out from under the car and glared up at the short woman in front of him.

"Why do you think Bruce wants a dog?" he demanded, "Soon there's gonna be a tiny half-god running around here, and you want to throw a  _dog_  into the picture?"

"Yes." Darcy replied calmly, staring down at him in response.

Tony blew out a harsh breath, staring at the ceiling, before glancing up at her. "One condition: I wanna help pick." he replied, before pulling himself back under the car, ignoring the bright smile Darcy gave him and the soft twinge of affection for her somewhere near his arc reactor. Damn kid.

It was a full week until Tony and Darcy were able to plan to go to an animal shelter together, of course in secret, because Darcy insisted it be a surprise for Bruce. But they had finally managed to find a good time, and now walked up and down between the rows of cages, tapping her chin thoughtfully, while Tony stood behind her, sunglasses still on.

"Big or small?" Tony grunted.

"Big." Darcy replied simply, and Tony didn't argue. He liked big dogs, too.

After a few moments, Darcy crouched suddenly in front of a cage with a big, black dog, who was panting softly, tail wagging as it approached the door of the cage. She glanced to the side as Tony crouched down beside her, letting his glasses slide to the tip of his nose to look at the dog.

"This is the one." he announced.

"Yep." Darcy agreed without question.

_-_

Bruce turned to close the door behind him and flick the light on when he entered their room later that night. When he heard the pattering of feet behind him, he closed his eyes briefly and smiled, turning with his arms out, only to discover it wasn't Darcy, but a black lab panting up at him, entire backside wiggling with the force it wagged its tail.

"Surprise!" Darcy announced from the hallway, arms thrown up into the air, beaming as Bruce stared at her, utterly bemused.

"You got me a dog?" he questioned, switching his jacket from one arm to the other to drop to one knee in front of the lab, stroking its head and scratching its ears as it began to sniff his chest and neck.

"Yup! You can name him, too, and everything." she beamed, tilting her head in silence now.

"Can I ask why? You got me the dog, I mean?" he questioned as he shifted to sit fully on the floor, the dog practically crawling into his lap.

"Well, you always talked about how when you were on the run you hung around with dogs a lot. And I like dogs, too, so... why not?" she shrugged.

"Thanks." Bruce replied with a quiet smile, patting the dog's side as he stood. "I'm not good with names, though..." he replied, shuffling as he looked over at Darcy.

"Oh, c'mon Bruce. You have to know some... regular dog names." she replied.

"Uhh... Lucky?" he tried, and Darcy grinned, chuckling.

"Works for me. Lucky. I like it." she hummed as she reached out, wrapping her arms around his neck.

One hand moved to the small of her back, pressing her close. "Thank you, Darcy." he murmured softly, leaning down to press a soft kiss to forehead. When he tried to pull back, though, she pulled him down to kiss him full on the mouth, purring softly.

"You're welcome, Bruce." she hummed as she pulled back, before flouncing into the kitchen, leaving Bruce in the hallway with Lucky circling him and a stupid smile on his face.


	17. Cravings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thor and Jane featured majorly in this chapter.

"Thor." Jane whispers at midnight. She feels awful about waking him, he'd spent almost all day training with Steve and wrestling around with the Hulk to help Big Green blow off some steam, but Jane's hungry, and... well...

"Thor." she whispers again, reaching out to pinch his bicep softly. This finally rouses Thor, who twitches and turns over, moving to prop his head on his hand, gazing down at her with half-lidded, sleepy eyes.

"Yes, my love?" he rumbles, voice rough with sleep. Now she feels worse.

"I... I just, I wanted..." she trails off, feeling tears springing to her eyes. Hormones  _suck_.

But now Thor's wide awake and leaning over her. "Anything you desire, my Jane, and I shall retrieve it." he speaks softly, stroking his hand over her face.

"Poptarts." she admits finally, and Thor rolls out of bed and to his feet.

"Excellent. I enjoy the pastries as well." Thor replies as he pulls on a t-shirt, changes into jeans and pulls on black, SHIELD-issue boots. He's learned how to dress well, with direction from Clint, Natasha, and Tony, and she feels a little bit of pride. He turns briefly as he opens the door. "I will make haste." he speaks, and walks out.

It's only as he's walking down the hall that Nick Fury's voice echoes through his head.

" _I don't think it's a good idea for you to go anywhere alone until you've adapted better."_

Well this is a problem.

He wanders into the living room while trying to solve his problem, and finds two sleeping forms on the couch. Upon closer inspection, he finds Darcy asleep, sprawled on top of a likewise sleeping Bruce Banner.

"Doctor?" he whispers, and that's all he has to do for Bruce to wake, blinking several times and squinting through the darkness, before he raises his head a little.

"Thor? Is everything okay? I didn't hear the alarm-" he started.

"This is not what I require of you, my friend." Thor interrupted. "Jane is having one of the cravings you explained to me, and I wish you to accompany me to the store. Please." Thor adds the last part as an after thought. He may no longer be the spoiled prince he once was, but he's still learning general Midgardian manners.

Bruce breaths out slowly, and Thor's worried he's annoyed him, but Bruce merely carefully moves out from under Darcy and tucks a blanket around her. "I thought it was a mission. She hates it when we run off in the middle of the night." he explains quietly as he pulls his shoes on and moves to the door with him.

"Jane as well. And the Lady Pepper." Thor replies solemnly as they move out the door in silence, riding the elevator down and walking down the street, towards the twenty-four hour market on the corner.

"Thank you for accompanying me, Doctor Banner." Thor comments as he looks down at him with a quiet smile.

"You're welcome, Thor. We're friends." Bruce replies with a quiet smile, helping him carry all of the boxes of Poptarts the supermarket has to offer to the counter and count out the money Thor brought with him.

With their bags they return to the Tower, Jane waiting, sitting up in bed when Thor returns, passing her a box, which she pulls open eagerly and unwraps a pack of two. With a smile, she hands one to Thor, who smiles back and settles back to eat.

"Look at my boyfriend, all adorable and friendly." Darcy mumbles as Bruce picks her up from the couch, carrying her towards their room. Lucky greets them at the door, but soon ambles off to flop down in his basket.

"Jane's cravings are starting." Bruce comments, and Darcy nods as she snuggles into his side the moment he climbs into the bed beside her.

"Fuuun." Darcy snickers softly as she pulls the blanket around them, and Bruce smiles slightly, one arm around her.

"Go to sleep, Darcy." he murmurs, kissing the top of her head, and she makes a noise of agreement before she's asleep, and Bruce is quick to follow.


	18. The Captain's Secret

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Steve gets a feature now, because who doesn't love Captain America?

" _Bruce."_

He thinks it's funny that she's whispering even though they're the only ones in the lab at the moment. Jane has been forbidden from coming in ever since Tony and he found out she was pregnant. Tony even set up security codes to keep her from sneaking in. Tony's off with Pepper for the day. He doesn't know where they went, and frankly doesn't want to know. (He's sure he'll hear something on the news tonight.)

"Yes, Darcy?" he questions, looking up from his work now to find her crouched on the other side of his desk, eyes just coming over the top of it, and shifting around wildly.

Apparently she's decided it's safe, before she hops up to sit on his desk instead now. "I think Steve's hiding something." she announced. Now he's kind of interested, because Steve has never felt the need to hide much.

"What kind of something?" he questions, watching her, even though he knows it's wrong and he should really give the other man his privacy.

Darcy glances around again before leaning in close. "I think Steve has a  _secret girlfriend."_  she replies, whispering the last two words.

"Er... Darcy? Wouldn't that be kind of hard, him being... you know, Captain America and all?" he questioned, before pausing. "Unless it's someone in SHIELD... then they might know, if they had the proper clearance." he murmurs thoughtfully.

Darcy grins. "Let's spy!" she suggests brightly.

"Darcy, no. Come on..." he tries, but Darcy merely snorts and hops off the desk.

"I'll just get Natasha to help me." she replies as she struts out, leaving Bruce to shake his head and got back to his work.

_-_

"I need your help." Darcy announces as she walks into the gym. She thinks it's a testament to how awesome she is when she manages not to wince as the impossible shape Natasha has contorted herself into.

"With what?" the Russian spy asks calmly as she unfolds herself, straightening slowly until she's facing Darcy.

"I need to spy on someone." Darcy replies, and Natasha's eyebrows go up, the only indication that Darcy has gotten her attention.

"Who?" Natasha questions, the hint of a smirk playing on her lips now.

"Steve." Darcy speaks, folding her arms slowly, because now Natasha's smirking.

"You have the same suspicions I do, I gather, then? That he's seeing someone?" Natasha is moving quickly towards the door now, Darcy hurrying to keep up.

"Yep. What should we-" she started, but Natasha cut her off.

"He's leaving in twenty minutes to go see someone. Get ready and meet me in the lobby in fifteen. Hat and sunglasses, obscure the face. Take of your red lipstick, it's too... you. Big clothes, hide the body. I'll meet you there." Natasha interrupts smoothly, striding off towards her room in silence.

Darcy is still for about two minutes until she realizes she needs to hurry, and darts off to the room she shares with Bruce.

_-_

She's waiting in the lobby, hoping she's done a good job disguising herself. Plain black pants and boots, a bit, knit cardigan and a slouchy beanie, her face obscured by the most normal sunglasses she could find because everything else she had deemed too "Darcy." She's a little bit worried at this point, because she hasn't seen Natasha yet, and Steve is going to be leaving any minute now.

"Darcy." she hears the Russian's voice from behind her, and spins around, only to nearly reel in shock. If Natasha wasn't standing right in front of her, smirking at her, she wouldn't have realized who it was. Her red hair, normally set in gorgeous curls, is pin straight and pulled off of her face by a black headband. Her eyes are hidden by large, no doubt designer sunglasses, and she's wearing what an average New York socialite might wear.

Needless to say, Darcy is impressed.

"I want to be a spy." Darcy breaths.

"No you don't. Steve's walking out the door right now. Don't turn around. I'm teaching you how to tail someone today." Natasha replies, waiting several moments before she leads Darcy out the door and into the crisp winter air. Steve's ahead of them on the sidewalk, and they probably would have lost him if it weren't for his height and head of golden hair. (Weird... she likes Bruce's messy fluff better, anyways.)

"Now. When you're tailing someone, you want to keep an average distance from them. Steve's probably not going to be looking around all over the place, because I doubt he anticipated anyone attempting to follow him, but still. If he turns around, just keep walking. Blend with the crowd. If he's actually searching, looking for a specific face, when it doubt, freeze. The human eye sees motion much better than it sees stationary objects." Normally Darcy hates lessons, but this is kind of fascinating.

"But if you just stop in the middle of the street, isn't that kind of... weird?" Darcy questioned, and Natasha smiled, almost fondly, the emotion coming easily over a face that wasn't supposed to be her for the day.

"That's where it helps to actually be a... spy. You have to be subtle about it. Veer off to the side as if you're looking for something. Or start reading a sign." Natasha explained, and Darcy nodded in understanding.

"You're so good at this." she grumbled.

"I wouldn't be alive if I wasn't." Natasha replied, voice oddly quiet as she stared ahead. Slowly, her eyebrows raised. Darcy shifted to look forwards as well, and at seeing who sat across from Steve at the little cafe, Darcy's mouth dropped open.

Because there was no way in hell Maria Hill was leaning across the table. And there was no way in hell Steve was bending down with a soft grin to meet her. And there was no way in hell they were kissing right now.

"Holy shit." Darcy whispered in awe, staring, wide eyed behind her sunglasses.

"Wow." Natasha muttered, vaguely impressed. "Let's go. Hill is much more likely to spot us than Cap." she added, turning, leading Darcy off swiftly and back towards the Tower.

"Oh my god." was all Darcy could manage as she stared at the elevator doors.

"We can't tell anyone." Natasha muttered.

"I know. Tony would tease him to no end... and I figure he's entitled to something, right?" Darcy questioned finally, looking over at her.

"Right." Natasha nodded with a slight smirk as the doors slid open, and she walked off in silence now, moving off quietly.

Darcy bites her lip, but she  _has_ to tell Bruce, considering she was complaining about it earlier, and she darts off to his lab, practically flying in and skidding to a stop in front of his desk.

Bruce stares at her in surprise, and she beamed at him.

"I was right! Steve does have a secret girlfriend. It's Maria Hill!" she speaks hurriedly.

" _Really?"_ Bruce questions, setting his papers aside for a moment to stare at her, before he shrugged. "She did kind of stare the first time she saw him..." he trailed off, blinking.

"Seriously? Ugh, Bruce, you need to tell me these things!" Darcy pouts over at him.

"I didn't realize." Bruce chuckles back at her, smirking faintly, before he turns. "I need to get back to work." he adds.

"I need to dream up awesome scenarios involving Hill and the Captain." Darcy answers as she slides off his desk, walking off with a smirk as she hums faintly, Bruce shaking his head after her.


	19. Cookies

"It's time." Darcy hisses menacingly, and Bruce looks up at her from his book, bemused, watching her over the top of his glasses. He's sitting in the main room, relaxing, Natasha on the couch opposite him, curled up and flicking through the channels with a bored expression. She doesn't even move at Darcy's sudden change in personality.

"Time for what?" he questions finally, tilting his head with a slight smile, because now Darcy's grinning at him, and he can never help but smile back.

"Time to make cookies. Duh, Bruce." she replies, holding her hands out to him. He closes his book obligingly, and allows her to pull him to his feet, (sort of), and when he's standing he tucks his glasses into his shirt pocket.

"We're making cookies?" Natasha questions smoothly, watching them now with an unreadable expression. At Darcy's nod, she unfolds herself from her spot, and her eyes flicker upwards. "You heard her, Barton. Get down here." she orders now, and moments later Clint lands in a crouch beside her, straightening.

"I like cookies." he shrugs, and walks off for the kitchen with his partner following behind him.

"Jarvis, can you tell everyone else that we're gonna be in the kitchen making cookies if they want to join?" Darcy questions, looking up at the ceiling.

"Of course, Miss Lewis." Jarvis replies. Darcy smiles in response, and reaches out to take Bruce's hand, lacing their fingers together as she walks with him to the kitchen, humming with a grin. Quickly she starts to pull out ingredients, and as the others gradually wander into the kitchen after being told by Jarvis, she delegates them each a bowl and the necessary items to make the dough. They're going to need a lot of it.

She and Pepper had been planning to do this for a while, so there are already sprinkles and frosting available. What surprises her, though, is that Loki seems to be enjoying this the most, working with a tiny, but ever present smile on his face. Thor watches his brother with a grin as Jane kneads the dough in the bowl, grumbling softly about how her too-strong boyfriend would break the bowl.

It's surprisingly quiet in the kitchen, especially seeing as both Darcy  _and_  Tony are currently occupying it, but it's a peaceful sort of quiet. The homey kind that just  _should not_  exist in a Tower with who they are and how they clash. Steve is standing quietly at a bowl beside Maria with a smile on his face, watching her with his sleeves rolled up as she quickly combines the ingredients and steps back to allow him to mix it. Apparently, when Natasha and Darcy had followed him they hadn't been as discreet as they thought, and Maria had spotted them. (Well, Maria had spotted Darcy, and assumed Natasha had to have been with her. Of course no one sees the dumb super spy when she doesn't want to be seen.) Anyways, Steve had told everyone about their relationship a few days afterwards, and ever since Maria had been spending a surprising amount of time at the Tower.

Frankly, Darcy was glad for another girl. Despite her cold exterior Maria ended up being a great addition to the group of females, and fit like a hand in a glove when they'd invited her to a girls night. She should have been surprised, but she wasn't. It was kind of hard to surprise Darcy nowadays.

Thor has taken Christmas in stride and is delighted in a celebration of joy and life. (They kind of didn't tell him about it being a celebration of the birth of Christ in Christian culture. They weren't sure how he'd feel about celebrating another God. Or son of a God. However that worked.) He's especially excited to get the tree and decorate it, but they haven't gotten around to that yet.

Jane is helping him cut out cookie shapes now, Tony muttering to Pepper about how he should have Iron Man cookie cutters made, with her shushing him and attempting to fight giggles at the same time.

Natasha and Clint work with the same precision and exactness as they work with their jobs, but they occasionally nudge each other and offer smirks, so Darcy assumes they're having a good time.

Loki is working alone, and he doesn't seem to like it. Thor seems to notice as well as Darcy, and she doesn't miss the pleased look as Thor moves over with Jane to join him, exclaiming about how delicious the cookies look already in his best "indoor voice."

Steve and Maria look like they're in their own little world, talking quietly and laughing, Steve much more freely than Maria, but hers are there, and she's smiling grudgingly at him, like she's trying to be mad for getting her to express herself in front of the Avengers. But Steve's giving her that easy, disarming smile that Darcy knows no single woman can resist. She also knows it's probably worse if you're actually dating the guy and that smile is just for you.

Finally, there's her and Bruce. They work easily together. Passing the cutters back and forth, Darcy occasionally pausing to bite Bruce's shoulder and wink at him, attempting to distract him, really. Bruce is meeting her attempts with soft laughs and pinching her nose, only to have Darcy stick her tongue out at him in response.

In all, the cookie making goes well. It's quiet and cute and if they weren't all World's Greatest Heroes, she'd think they belonged on some family sitcom. As Darcy's cleaning up her section of the kitchen alone, Bruce having been pulled off by Tony, Loki enters, hesitating in the doorway, before he strides over to her quickly, and wraps her in a hug.

It's awkward and a little uncomfortable, but she knows he's trying, so she wraps her arms around him in return, patting his back.

"Thank you, Darcy Lewis." he murmurs quickly, before he releases her as suddenly as he'd hugged her, and he's out the door again and off. For a brief moment she'd caught a look of his face. Childlike and vulnerable and full of adoration. Like a son looks at his father or mother.

And damn if she didn't have a camera.


	20. Brows, Lashes, Lips

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shameless reference to the fact that Jeremy Renner used to be a make-up artist, and gave tips to women on the Ellen DeGeneres show.

"You're not just gonna throw on red lipstick?"

"Uh, duh. That's why you're here, Robin Hood. I liked how you did Natasha's make up when we had that press thing. I want you to work your magic on me."

"Natasha told you I do make up?"

"Again, duh. Now c'mon, hot shot. I need something natural, or whatever. She's getting married on the beach. So I can't even wear heels. I'll look weird with make up glopped on like war paint, so work your magic." Darcy's sitting in the room she shares with Bruce in front of a vanity. So old fashioned. But hey, sometimes it makes her feel like a princess.

"When's the wedding?" Clint questions as he examines the make up he has at his disposal. It's a surprising amount, considering he never sees Darcy with anything but lipstick and occasionally mascara on. She must have borrowed it from someone.

"Five hours." Darcy replied. "But the plane ride takes three. By the way, tell Tony I said thanks again for letting us use it." she added.

"Yeah, whatever." he replied simply, shrugging quietly. "You want something natural? Easy, you gotta frame the face. Brows, lashes, lips. It's simple, it's five minutes, but I'll spend longer because I like you, kid." Clint replied as he crouched in front of her, armed with the tools he had chosen. Darcy grinned briefly and closed her eyes obediently, feeling Clint start in on her eyebrows.

She hears a door open and close, and she knows Bruce has come out of the bathroom, showered and dressed in his suit.

"Am I next?" he questions, sounding amused.

"Shut it, Banner." Clint replied, voice surprisingly tight with concentration. Bruce just chuckles and she hears him walk off, presumably to get her dress from the closet. She feels pressure on her eyelids now, and she assumes Clint's sweeping on a little bit of eyeshadow. He moves on to her lips with what she recognizes as a lip stain, which she understands. Lipstick would be too... thick for a beach wedding. "Eyes open." he murmurs. Darcy obeys, and he carefully swipes on mascara, before nodding. Straightening, he instructs her to close her eyes again, spritzing her face with a make up setting spray, and stepping back.

Darcy waits for it to dry before opening her eyes, and leaning forwards to study herself in the mirror. She looks awesome, of course. She wonders why she ever doubted Clint. Hurriedly pulling her dress on, she swoops in to kiss his cheek. "See you soon!" she calls as she rushes out her door with Bruce, leaving Clint smirking behind her.


	21. Brawl

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Nintendo or any of its characters.

"Uh... what are you wearing?" Bruce stares at his girlfriend when he enters their room and sees her standing in front of the mirror, studying herself.

"Bruce, it's video game night. I have to look tough." Darcy replies, waving him off. Where she got the black camouflage pants, he isn't sure, but he recognizes the black tank top. Because it's one of his undershirts. It fits her snugly, and as always, he can't help but be pleased when she wears his clothes. She's also wearing black combat boots, but he knows she's had those forever. Her feet haven't exactly grown since high school, and since she used to be  _super_ hardcore, (oh yeah, so tough), she  _had_  to have combat boots. She's got a black bandanna tied around her head as well, only visible on her forehead since her hair hides the rest of it, and she used what he assumes is eyeliner as war paint, with two black stripes under her eyes, like a football player.

"Ah, I forget. What are you playing tonight?" he questions now, moving to put his book on the bedside table, tucking his glasses into his shirt pocket.

"Super Mario Smash Bros. Brawl. My favorite." Darcy replies with a pleased smile, apparently satisfied with her appearance, because she leaves the mirror to walk over and throw her arms around his neck dramatically. She must be in a good mood, if she's acting so exaggerated.

"I thought Zelda was your favorite." Bruce replies calmly, arms automatically sliding around her waist and he leans down to drop a kiss on her forehead.

"I have a lot of favorites." is Darcy's simple answer, before she turns. "Are you gonna come watch? 'Cause Tony and Clint are waiting." she hums, heading for the door. Bruce follows, because he hasn't seen anyone all day, cooped up in the lab while Tony was forced into meetings by Pepper, and he's kind of lonely.

They head to the living room, where Clint is already waiting with Natasha lounging at his side, curled up beside the arm of the couch with a book in her lap.

"Hey, Bruce, Darcy." the Russian greets with a nod, while Darcy and Clint only glare and make faces at each other. (Because for the rest of the night, they're enemies.)

"Hi, Natasha." Bruce greets with a quiet smile as he moves to sit in one of the arm chairs. "I wouldn't bother with the book. They can get kind of loud." he adds as he leans back, relaxing.

"I know. It was wishful thinking." Natasha replies with a slight smirk, looking up as Thor, Loki, and Steve walk in now.

"Have you begun?" Thor questions as he seats himself in another arm chair, Loki hovering near the back of the room, looking interested, but also like he didn't want anyone to  _know_  he was interested. Steve leans against the back of the couch, crossing his arms loosely with a smile now.

"Tony's on his way." he explains, Darcy nodding.

"Good. All the closer to me kicking his butt." she replies.

"In your dreams, short stuff." Clint snorts in response, and Darcy sticks her tongue out at him in response, huffing.

_-_

Two hours later, "Video Game Night" is in full swing with all the yelling, fighting, and laughter that ensues. Despite the way they act when they first greet each other on the "battle ground", they're all surprisingly good sports when it comes to losing. Darcy has won several rounds in a row, and is grinning proudly when a voice makes them pause.

"May I?" Loki questions quietly, holding the fourth, unused Wii nunchuk and controller.

Darcy blinks, looking back and forth between Tony and Clint, before she shrugs. "Be our guest." she replies, turning back to the screen to select Pit as her next character. Tony chooses Samus, and Clint chooses Zelda. (Totally because her Final Smash uses a bow and arrow.) Loki chooses Ike, and with a few more clicks, the round begins. It's a heated battle, and Darcy is vaguely annoyed that just by watching them, Loki has learned to play brilliantly. They're doing a Stock round, because being timed is annoying, and they're all down to their last life when Loki hits the Smash Ball and catches them all in Ike's Final Smash.

The three stare dumbly at the screen as the "Great Aether" is preformed, and as Ike brings their characters back to the ground, they all shoot off the screen, the round ending.

The room is quiet, before Darcy throws her controller down and gestures wildly towards the screen, while staring at Loki. "What the hell?" she demands, and Loki sets his own controller down quietly, smiling to himself.

"I like this game." he announces, before he leaves the room.

Of all people, it's Natasha who laughs first, and Thor joins in immediately, even though he doesn't really get what exactly is so funny. Loki has always been able to learn things through study, and his victory doesn't surprise the other Asgardian in the slightest.

"Bruce, the Gods hate me." Darcy groans as she pushes off the couch to throw herself into his lap.

"No, they don't, Darcy." Bruce replies calmly, chuckling at Thor's worried expression, waving him off. "Maybe you can teach Loki another game you're better at." he suggests.

Darcy freezes, before she jumped up. "Oh my god. Loki needs to learn to play Mario. If we co-oped, we'd be unstoppable!" she replies, before running off to find the God of Mischief, Bruce going back to reading over the newspaper with a quiet smile and a shake of his head. He had a feeling Video Game Night would become more frequent in the future.


End file.
